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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kid · fine · craft · ruler · pop · wake · file · snap

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. fine — high quality
  3. kid — child
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. pop — to visit
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a line of people
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. pop — soda
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. pop — music
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. kid — to tease
  15. craft — boats
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. file — a tool
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. snap — to click
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. fine — all right
  24. craft — a skill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com